6.3 earthquake shakes Peru but no injuries or damage reported

LIMA (Reuters) - A earthquake of 6.3 magnitude rattled the coast of Peru early on Monday, the U.S. Geological Survey said, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

The quake occurred shortly after midnight local time (1 a.m. ET) and was centered about 9 miles southeast of the city of Ica and about 170 miles south-southeast of Lima.

Witnesses said the quake shook buildings in coastal Lima, Peru's capital. Although there were no reported injuries or damage, local radio said residents near the epicenter were alarmed and ran outside their homes when they felt the quake. Power was out in nearby Pisco, the radio said.

"We felt a terrible earthquake that's really scared us," Ica resident Blanca Cabanilla told the local radio. "It was similar to what happened to us in 2007."

An 8.0 quake in 2007 killed more than 500 people in Ica and wrecked thousands of homes.